From what kind of social and economic environment did Muhammad arise, and what did he teach?

The Arabian peninsula, about a third of the size of Europe or the United States, covers about a million square miles, much of it desert. By the seventh century C.E. farming prevailed in the southwestern mountain valleys with their ample rainfall. In other areas scattered throughout the peninsula, oasis towns sustained sizable populations including artisans, merchants, and religious leaders. Outside the towns were Bedouin (BEH-duh-uhn) nomadic tribes who moved from place to place, grazing their sheep, goats, and camels. Though always small in number, Bedouins were the most important political and military force in the region because of their toughness, solidarity, fighting traditions, possession of horses and camels, and ability to control trade and lines of communication. Mecca became the economic and cultural center of western Arabia, in part because pilgrims came to visit the Ka’ba, a temple containing a black stone thought to be a god’s dwelling place. Muhammad’s roots were in this region.